red eye : the final encounter
by amy conner
Summary: Jackson now must find a way to save his twin brother DR Jonathan crane and break him out of barmouth,but who will help him? an old friend? will he remember his debt?
1. old friends

_**Red eye: the final encounter **_

_**Old friends**_

_I knew it was a long shot. It's been several years since we spoke but Michael and I have history that goes back to the days when Lincoln was falsely accused and condemned of murder. Its so weird how our paths had crossed and for once I had done something that wasn't entirely for my own gratification. I hoped to god he would remember that and help me help my brother._

_If it had been arkham I wouldn't have the slightest qualm. I was more than enough to terrorize a few ill paid orderlies and from what I heard some crazed doctors but barmouth was different. It was maximum security and noone had access to the inmates. Noone. _

_With my career in crime gone, I had also lost valuable assets and contacts. So Michael scofield was my only hope._

_He was supposed to have died many years ago, in his attempt to save sarah. But somehow the man survived. How he did it was beyond me. But he seemed to have more than nine lives. A contact of mine who operated from the Latin soils had informed me of this. There was a nagging doubt. The man has created a life for himself and his family. Would he risk it all for a career criminal like me? I wouldn't. But then that was Michael scofield. He would stand by his friends. Was I his friend? , Probably not. But he would remember what I did for him. I prayed to god I was right. _

_I can't begin to imagine what they must have done to Jon by now. Arkham couldn't keep him or return him back to sanity. And no court would make him stand trial. They did what anyone else would to a nuisance, shoved him in the darkest corner of the city, hoping he would rot in there. End of the story. _

_I knew I was being a coward back then, when I let the bat drag him away right in front me eyes. I just stood there, petrified. If Jon had been sane I sure would have seen the reproof in his eyes. He would have silently screamed asking and accusing me … _

_Why didn't I save him…. _

_And I see the same reproof and same loathing in lisa's eyes these days. Somehow my brother had been able to connect with my wife. She saw something beyond his obvious insanity and antisocial psychopathic behavior. She was almost empathetic which was new to us both. _

_She sees the guilt in me but at the same time she expects me to do something about it. What she doesn't realize it isn't easy. But difficult as it may, one thing was sure. I wasn't going to let Jonathan rot in the hellhole. I was going to break him out with or without Michael. _

_This wasn't over. _

_You will find the prequels 1) red eye 2: the quarry and the marauder in the red eye section _

_2) the mirror has two sides in the red eye-batman begins/the dark knight cross over section. _


	2. the call

The Call 

_I hadn't hatched anything yet. I didn't have anything concrete to go on. But something needed to be done and soon. So far from what I heard and read barmouth was one of the most secure max sec asylums in the country. Only clinically and criminally insane who had no means of returning back to normalcy and that in turn meant returning back into the society were incarcerated there ,Forever. _

_I wasn't sure how I was suppose to break him out of there when I didn't even have the right to see or visit him. The inmates were considered too dangerous to function in presence of human beings. They couldn't risk another psychotic episode. I have to admit they were being a bit nastier to Jon because of the whole narrows incident years ago. _

_It was so easy to take moral high grounds with people. How could he do that? How could a Doctor torture his own patients? Why would a brilliant man like him poison the whole city? How sadistic was that? He deserved what he got! No one would see it from his point of view. Or understand what drove him to do all of those. Come to think of it, what he did wasn't wrong at all. The city was dying anyway. He merely gave the push. There were plenty of reasons why he experimented on his patients. I am willing to bet my life these thugs had the same persona as the bullies who made jon's life a misery in school. Want my opinion? THEY deserved what they got._

_But that wasn't going to help him in the least. If it had been the GPD, they wouldn't have found him at all. The batman's involvement put him where he was now. At that point batman did what he could to save leese. But it was his fault that he captivated me in the first place, that's why leese had to go out wonder in the narrows, that's how she got into the clutches of my poor brother. It was fucking batman's fault. _

_I wasn't sure how long I had spent hating the man, instead of planning my next move. Every time I did, my mind blanked out. I felt I being was torn apart. Every second I wasted waiting for Michael to deliver, every moment I spent doing nothing was killing my brother one bit at a time. _

_I don't remember the day or the date now. Life had come to a standstill for both me and leese. It's sufficient to say when the phone rang in our living room, loudly and adamantly I knew who was on the other side and what he was going to say. I picked up the phone from the cradle with shaking hands and heard a familiar voice. _

_One sentence. _

"_Meet me at laurens 1 pm sharp room 302" _

_The line went dead._

_Jonathan had managed to find himself a life boat. _


	3. Rendezvous

_Rendezvous _

Luarens was one of the most high profile hotels in Miami. Not only it was absurdly expensive, it was difficult to get reservation there. People had to wait in a long queue for months. It's like dorcia. One of the benefits of getting into this hotel was you could have a total anonymity. Anyone who wanted to spend his or her time incognito, this place would be the ideal one. Plus it had ties in with various offshore banks which for many obvious reasons their clientele craved.

I wasn't surprised at Michael's choice of venue. He had made up his mind to help me … _us….. _He had the right to protect himself and those he cared about. He owed them that.

I wasn't sure which alias he would be using. He didn't give me any. Maybe it was a test that I should figure it out by myself. Or simply he had registered himself as Michael scofield. Now that it was established he was dead, chances were slim that the feds would come looking for him in Miami. So in retrospect it was a good and obvious move.

Laurens wasn't difficult to find. It had a Victorian edge to it, hiding behind thick bushes of rhododendrons, just a few miles from the beach. The serenity it provided almost made you feel at peace though the prices were anything but. The front door held the key to this haven as it opened up into a giant structure which was a mixture of hustle and bustle of the city and the old forgotten days of the past. The maitre always held the aura of a British old timer. His face changed Name too but never the feel. Upscale British snobbishness was an added attraction to this place.

Laurens was a place someone like me could ever afford to frequent often. But a long time ago, _Jackson rippner had a different clientele than now. _That Jackson knew Laurens, inside and out.

It was past 12.00 when I reached Laurens. I had given myself enough time to make a quick survey. I wanted to make sure that no one was lurking there, hiding in the shadows, figuratively speaking, to catch me unawares, although there wasn't any reason to. Call it my paranoia but it was a logical thing to do when you are meeting up with an old acquaintance to plot a rescue attempt that involved breaking in and out of one the most secured prison / asylum in the country. There wasn't anyone.

It was precisely 12.58 when I announced myself at the front desk and after much debate asked for Michael scofield. The maitre as usual looked superior while appraising me, then made a quick call to a certain number for confirmation. A few seconds later i found myself outside the doorsteps of room 302 waiting for him to open the door. The door opened up after a few seconds , revealing a very familiar face.

"Hello Michael I am so pleased to see you"

"I wish I could say the same" Michael said ushering me in.

sukre was already there looking pissed. As far as I remember he always had been extremely protective of his friends and I wasn't one of his favorite people. It made me smirk a little in spite of the intensity and seriousness of the situation.

"The bad coin always comes back now doesn't she?" he interjected.

I remained quiet. I was willing to tolerate any insolence from anyone if they helped me get my brother out of that hellhole. I could always settle my scores later, some other time…

" so what is it you want me to do Jackson ? you know am not in the business of breaking out criminals" Michael said sitting down

"you broke linc out"

" he wasn't a criminal"

"neither is jon"

"that's your opinion …"

"yeah …. He has done some things… but he doesn't deserve to be there"

"he deserves to be locked up.. god he gassed the whole city who does that? "

"Why are we talking about this? Are you or aren't going to help me?" I was almost shouting "please" calming down "do this once …." I couldn't bring myself to beg any further.

Michael scrutinized me intensely for a long time then said quietly

" I wouldn't be wasting your time jack if I didn't" he paused " but we will need reinforcement… we cant do this alone"

"Do what ever it takes Michael….just get him outta there"


	4. The Team

The team 

Michael stared at me for a long time, shifting uneasily in his armchair. Suddenly he turned and looked out of the window overlooking the beach. The sun was gazing down of it. It was past mid day but the sand looked more golden than ever. His eyes remained transfixed on the scene down below. People were happily strolling up and down the sand, surfers kissing the sea in spite of the scorching heat. His voice seemed suddenly out of place when he spoke like he wasn't even there.

"Jackson I didn't sign up for this"

I couldn't say a thing. I knew it then, and I know it now after all these years that were very selfish of me to drag him down with me, asking for the favor he owed me. But the thought of Jon and his incarceration and the life he had without me always made me feel less guilty, though not entirely. But looking at the tattooed man, looking so forlorn made me squirm inside.

I struggled hard to get words out of my mouth, to justify myself, to tell him once again how I always felt the need to protect my brilliant but otherwise vulnerable brother. But I couldn't do it. Words and emotions died in my mouth as I struggled to pull myself together. I just sat there knowing Michael would do everything to help me one last time what ever it cost and I was pretty sure it was going to be huge.

He remained quiet for a long time which seemed like a clichéd eternity. When he finally spoke his voice was resigned

" sukre is with me on this. I would need linc too… I hope you would trust Alex because we would need him to get access to the fed data base…."

He paused before adding "of course he is not working there anymore."

I remained quiet as I knew what was coming next. One person we would need the most to break into an asylum would the last person on earth Michael would put in jeopardy. We needed Sarah and Michael knew it too. But he couldn't bring himself to admit it. And he would do everything in his power to make it work without her involvement. Deep down I knew as well as he did it was just an illusion.

"I trust you completely Michael. You know that" I said rather pathetically.

For the first time he looked amused and his face lit up with a crooked grin of his

"That's exactly why am not so sure this is a good idea jack. You were always the one to trust yourself and no one else"

"a lot have changed mike . I have changed"

"Maybe" he looked sternly at me "something in me tells me you haven't really. It's all a façade and someday your true self would come out" he stopped "where will you be then Jackson rippner?"

He looked away.

"By the way there are two others I would like you to meet. I don't know whether they would invoke confidence….but they owed me one …"his voice trailed off as the door bell rang and I jumped up in utter surprise.

Michael slowly got up and padded across the room and yanked the door open. My mouth could have swallowed long island when I saw the visitors.

"_Stefan and Damon"_ Michael announced nonchalantly.


	5. the blood sucker

The blood suckers 

My eyes really popped out when I saw the two of them standing at the doorway looking bemused. Stefan of course looked nervous at the introduction, not sure if he were welcome. But Damon's eyes twinkled with a manic glee when he saw the perplexed look on my face. His face broke into his trade mark grin, making me squirm inside.

"_Jackson" _he guffawed as if we were at some reunion "_long time no see. So how are you? Ahhh is your neck better?" _he asked smirking a little.

I reddened immediately. I wasn't sure which injury he was referring to, the one leese inflicted on me years ago or the one _he _gave me as a souvenir of his superior strength. I wanted to smack him across his face, but that would have been a fatal mistake for two reasons. It wasn't a good idea to piss off a _vampire. _ And secondly if Michael asked them to come they were probably here to help Michael to break Jonathan out, which of course meant I needed them. So I held my tongue and wrath and said nothing. But I did answer him with an icy stare matching his own fiery one.

Stefan in the meanwhile had remained quiet, looking at us nervously. So was Michael. He coughed a little and said

"Now that we are done with introductions let us get back to business".

"Good idea" Stefan concurred.

"For that we have to know what the business is all about" Damon offered, while strolling in.

"_We have to help somebody? Oh please tell me it's the psycho here. He is so much fun_" he added snickering a little. He sat down on the vacant armchair and stared at me raising his eyebrows, still smiling.

It took enormous efforts on my part not to rush at him and stab him with something if I had the chance. Instead I gritted my teeth before saying

"One psycho to another then" quite lamely no doubt.

'Well ya you are here to help me" Michael interjected, stressing on the 'me' a little

"You two owed me, big time."

"Yes mike we do. We would of course do whatever we can" Stefan said, his voice soft and determined.

"We need you to help us break jack's brother out of barmouth"

"_The psycho's got a brother_?" Damon's voice sounded genuinely amused.

"_Oh don't tell me it's Patrick Bateman. I have to return some video tapes_" he rolled up laughing at his pathetic attempt at humor.

I glared at him.

"No it's not Patrick Bateman. It's _DR CRANE_ actually" Michael said.

Damon stopped laughing and looked at we with mouth open. He remained silent for a minute which wasn't a mean feat for a man like him. He kept looking at me and then at Michael, at our expressions. He finally said

"_Fuck I will be damned_."

"You will be damned anyway Damon. Why not burn in hell after helping someone?" I couldn't but hit him below the belt this time. I have had enough. But the monster he was, he was also shameless and amoral. _**Like you Jackson **_I heard my brother's voice in adding. Damon just stared at me, his eyes narrowing then said

"_Well helping a monster to free another monster is a sure way to reign in hell. So why not?"_ he chuckled again .

"What do you want us to do Michael?" Stefan asked, interrupting Damon's obvious mirth.

"I am not entirely sure yet, but we will figure something out wont we Damon?" Michael looked directly at him now.

"_You bet_" Damon replied picking up a glass of wine from the counter.


	6. saving the day part 1

**Sorry guys , I have had a writer's block on this one. Didn't know how to continue. **** . but I wish to finish this one soon , even though am not happy with the output. Reviews are appreciated . **

I looked at the vampires once again, very closely this time. I had known them for a while. But something didn't gel here. I could fathom, how , when, in hell , had Michael met and befriended the pair of them. I didn't trust them , especially the older Salvatore. But I trusted Michael's loyalty and integrity, so in a way I was forced to trust him too , against my better judgment. But curiosity got better of me.

"Michael"

"Yeah"

"How do you know the Salvatore brothers?"

I refused to look him in the eye. I didn't want him to see my apprehension, my unwillingness to trust them. His head shot up, he looked at me quizzically without answering. After staring at me fro a life time, took a long pause, and said "They helped me when I was in need, when they had obligation to do so".

Damon expression was difficult to read. He cocked his head in Michael's direction. Some unspoken words passed between the two of them. Stefan looked equally ill at ease, even though he managed to utter "No that's not true. You know there was more to it". Michael looked more uncomfortable than ever.

I instantly knew, there was something very wrong with this story, or something weird about it. I didn't wish to find out. So I let the matter drop. Anyway I had a brother to save.


	7. saving the day part 2

_**A few years back **_

_Damon was drinking alone, once again. How many times had his heart been broken? He had lost count. But today, the pain was particularly excruciating. He had finally reconciled to the fact, that Elena would never be his, his alone. There always will be Stefan. He could still claim her blood, her affection, even her love perhaps. But her heart belonged with Stefan; he was the brother she had chosen to spend the life, eternity with. He new he ought to feel particularly venomous, almost homicidal. But unlike everything he had felt previously, he felt a sense of calm. A sense of utter emptiness washed over him , as it engulfed his soul. He new in his undead heart , this was it , the end had come , there was no point in denying it anymore. He slammed down his glass of wine, looked about his dark room and grimaced. It was past midnight. wasn't there any way he could possibly end it all ? _

_He picked up his jacket with utter disgust, took his car keys off his table and left the room noiselessly , without so much a second glance. He was done there. He was done with fell's church and its humanity and he was done with Elena and most importantly he was done with life. Slightly swaying, he made his way to his car. He tried to get and put the key in the ignition. But the damn car just wouldn't start. Frustrated , he got out and kicked the front tire , bursting it open. Then he began to walk slowly into the darkness._

_He had no idea how long he had walked, his vampire senses not working at all. He looked about, and an strange vibe gripped him. he was in unfamiliar territory. The soil , the forests , the sky , everything looked different, most importantly smelt different. He knew , he hadn't walked too fast , but he could hear the ocean and smell the salty odor of , the sea waves. There wasn't a sea near fell's church. He had come far enough from that god wretched place. He was still wondering what to do, when a strong delicious smell ticked his nose. Blood. Human blood. He instantly followed the trail , allowing his predatory instincts to take over. He stalked his way through the trees, into the woods. Soon he found himself near the shore. Something was bundled up there, something huge , wet , and bloody. He stumbled his way down there. There it was , a human being , all covered in blood , probably in his own , barely moving , and barely breathing. The smell of the blood of this dying man was too overwhelming; it took Damon a village focus. His canines automatically fanged out, but something about the man , with his bald head , and body covered with tattoos , looked so pathetic even to Damon , that he stopped himself in time. He looked at him once again, his hunger too powerful to be controlled any longer. He could do one of the two things a vampire could do to a bloody, dying man. He looked at him once again, fanged out, and bit his wrists. Blood began to ooze out , as he forced the liquid into the mouth of the man , wondering why hadn't he kill him . _


End file.
